If We Want R-Rated Star Wars, Zack Snyder Is Just The Guy To Do It Right
Originally conceived as part of Star Wars, Rebel Moon may end up being the next best thing, given Lucasfilm's fear of R-rated projects.
Star Wars is in a tough spot right now, as recent projects in the franchise have been hit and miss. While Andor and The Bad Batch season 2 were warmly received, The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian season 3 were panned by fans.
With all of this in mind, it has become clear that the more serious and darker elements are what the fans want.
Meanwhile, Lucasfilm and Disney continue to prioritize the family-friendly image of the franchise, so even if we get more mature takes on the galaxy far, far away, the possibility of, say, an R-rated Star Wars project remains almost nonexistent.
But even with all that in mind, we may still get the next best thing in the form of Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon, as the filmmaker recently revealed that it was originally conceived as a Star Wars project.
In an interview with Empire, Snyder said that he was inspired by Akira Kurosawa's films, which in part inspired George Lucas to create Star Wars in the first place.
However, due to the recent acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney and the fact that he didn't want to include any of the franchise's most famous characters, it was an extremely tough sell at the time.
The final thing that put an end to the director's plans to make the script a part of Star Wars was that he wanted it to be R-rated, which was "almost a non-starter." So when Zack realized he couldn't get his vision, he decided to do it his own way.
The movie will tell the story of a group of rebels who attempt to stand up to the oppressive Imperium in order to protect the freedom of their homeworld. It will be a two-part story, with both films shot back-to-back, and will be released in two cuts: PG-13 and an extended R-rated one.
Fans are cautiously excited about Zack's attempt to do what the "official" Star Wars refuses to do, as they are tired of the beaten formula and a dark story with brand new characters might be just what they need, even if it is not part of the Lucasfilm franchise.
And who knows, if the project is a success, maybe Star Wars will follow in its footsteps and bring us darker and more mature stories.
Rebel Moon Part 1 will be released on Netflix on December 22, 2023.